If you were as powerful as Superman...

[Darkseid Is]

I have a friend who doesn't like Superman. Actually hates him. He says he's too powerful and too "good." My argument is always if you had that much power would you be that good? That moral? I don't think I would. When I watch the news and see the pedophiles and rapists and murderers of the world I can't help but think if I had the power of Superman I wouldn't let the law take care of these real world monsters. But I do think about what would Superman do and that grounds me. It makes me want to be a better person. Once again why Superman is great and why super heroes are great in general.

What would you do if you had his powers? I'm talking maybe a Superboy Prime type of scenario where you were the only one on the planet with powers. No one to keep you in check. Could you be as honest and as righteous as the man of steel? Or would you become a dictator?

[Jon Clark]

I definitely wouldn't be as good or noble as Superman.

I doubt I'd be a dictator, since by-and-large I could care less what other people do. But I would probably impose my will where I came into conflict with the law. More Superman in Superman III than "Kneel before Zod".

With Superman's powers I don't need a lot. I need food (maybe), clothing (even if I'm invulnerable I'm not a nudist by nature) and a place to relax. But by and large I'm willing to trade for that. So I'd probably be willing to work in some capacity rather than just take things by force.

I'm not going to go around picking fights just for the fun of it, but if you were to get in my face about something and not back off when asked- well I'm really not going to worry how bad I hurt you to make you stop. And if that led to me being confronted by police or the military then expect a lot of collateral damage unless I'm in a mood to simply walk off and the authorities are smart enough to let it go at that.

I'd sort of be like a semi-belligerent grizzly bear. You are reasonably safe if you stay out of my way and just leave me to do as I please.

[Celgress]

I'd likey trend towards doing bad things although my intentions would be noble. I'd be far more proactive than Superman is about all the injustice in the world, especially nation states which abuse their own people in places like Africa or the Middle East or the Korean Peninsula. No doubt I'd kill a few dictators and their cronies, at least by accident, which would start me down the slippery slope towards being an authoritarian god-king even if for the "right" reasons. So, yeah, Clark has me beat in the good person department as I would likely abuse my powers even if I were initially helping others.

[qwertyuiop1998]

i can no doubt say i wouldn't be as good as superman
but at first,i probably will pretend normal and uses some powers to do some good things and benefit me(like help somebody occasionally,and use power to finding job).
then,maybe i will out earth to traveling space,or maybe thing turn to worse,i will be a dictator.

[GreatKungLao]

I'm afraid I would've become Punisher with Superman powers, because real world system doesn't work and can't be trusted. You have to take justice into your hands and be the executioner or else the villain will buy his way out of the system that was suppose to take care of things. I wish I was as good as Superman, but it is hard to do when your world is not a comic book.

[Vakanai]

If I were as powerful as Superman, I would shunt Trump, much of the current Republican Party, the Koch brothers, the people in charge of Monsanto, Kim Jung Un, Putin, the Chinese president who's name I forgot how to spell, and a few select dictators and authoritarian rulers the world over into the Phantom Zone very discreetly and call it a day. Oh, and then squash some coal into diamonds and live a middle class lifestyle. That'd be about it.

[DCStu]

I've never really thought about what I'd do if I was Superman...

But I remember having a conversation with someone once and she said to me that she wished Superman was real. Just cause of what a horrible world this can be. Since she said it, I've often thought the same thing.

[stargazer01]

If I had Superman powers, I don't know if I'd be as good and noble as he is but I'd try my best to be. I'd try to right what I see is wrong in the world. I'd try to stop all injustices and help those in need as much as I could. For instance, I'd stop all those horrible macho men in Saudi Arabia who treat women worst than animals; I learned yesterday while watching a show that there is even classes to teach men how to punish (beat) their wives... *cries* I'd also send into the Phantom Zone all those child molesters. I'd avoid killing unless there was no other option like trying to stop a Doomsday haha. Oh and I'd also do things to raise $$ and help the poor, and I'd supervise those programs to be sure the $ goes to where is supposed to.

I honestly also take a bit of advantage with my powers and travel the world to see all I want to see. I'd go to the moon for sure. I'd also try to live well because after all I've done I deserve it.

[Superlad93]

Give everything I own right now to charity. I'd take my girlfriend all around the world and into space. I'd also love to take her dancing on the moon, and make every date we go on worthy of freakin myth, but still totally just kick it and watch some Netflix (but I'm always floating). I'd hand build her whatever house she wants, but I'd insist that all our furniture float via anti-gravity tech I made (non-negotiable, baby. I'm sorry). I'd also hand build my mom whatever house she wants. Take a flat Earther into space, fly them back to the ground, then tell them to shut up forever. I'd probably see what I could do about world hunger. Offer my help to stop sex trafficking. I'd also anonymously send hand crushed diamonds to charities, medical centers, homeless shelters, women's shelters, orphanages, and cancer wards. End global warming, and stop natural disasters.

I'd also basically be Santa Claus.

[Yoda]

I think I'd try to operate like the Clark Kent in Secret Identity. Use my abilities to help where I can, as non-publicly as possible, and try my best not to get involved in the day to day political mess.

[Celgress]

If I were as powerful as Superman, I would shunt Trump, much of the current Republican Party, the Koch brothers, the people in charge of Monsanto, Kim Jung Un, Putin, the Chinese president who's name I forgot how to spell, and a few select dictators and authoritarian rulers the world over into the Phantom Zone very discreetly and call it a day. Oh, and then squash some coal into diamonds and live a middle class lifestyle. That'd be about it.

And therein is where the true danger starts. It is one thing to get rid of dictators but it is quite another thing to get rid of elected leaders because you don't agree with them. People have the right to be wrong if you start deciding what is best for them you become no better than the flawed leaders you replace, maybe even worse. I think the temptation to "decide what is best" for others would be too great for most to resist if given Superman's powers.

[Ascended]

Oh, I'd go straight into tyrant mode. No question about it. I mean, I'd call myself a "freedom fighter" and my goals would be noble, but in the end it'd be the same thing; I'd tear down governments and powerful corporations, prop up replacements that I felt would be better, and murder-ize a lot of people who (in my opinion) deserve it. I have very strong political opinions and zero tolerance for corruption or greed, and I'd end up making quite the mess. But amid all the broken governments and dead world leaders I'd be making headway on solving world hunger, disease, and enforcing the advancement and distribution of green energy. I'd force investment in new medical technologies and wreck the pharmaceutical industry (I'm not an anti-vaxer, I just think medication should be affordable). And of course I'd help out for natural disasters and save lives when and where I could. I'm not a complete monster, after all. I'd believe that the future would thank me.

I dont even think I'd fight against my impulses that much. I'd convince myself that decimating political leaders and forcing the world to adhere to my viewpoint was what any responsible, accountable person would do. You cut out the tumors so the body can be healthy right? I'd convince myself that is all I would be doing.

I adore Superman but I do not share his optimistic views of humanity. I wouldn't wait for people to "join me in the sun." I'd drag them there by force whether they like it or not. If Frank Castle had Clark's powers.....that's probably what I would end up being.

Then I'd terraform Mars, collect the best and brightest, and start a new colony there.

[Stick Figure]

Not sure what i’d Do. I wouldn’t work. I definitely would help people but it would all be in secret. I’m not a people person so I have to have privacy. I can’t take people. Lol! I’d throw my ski mask on and go out and patrol every so often. No costume that’s for sure. I’m scared of heights so flying would take time to get used to. I’d travel because I’ve hardly been out of my home state. I’d set my mother up in a nice house.

Yeah I’m definitely no Superman. I think I’d be too focused on myself initially. In time, I’d probably have a “with great power comes great responsibility” moment.

[DochaDocha]

Every once in a while when I watch something like Narcos, I wonder wouldn't it be interesting to try to stop the narcos if you were Superman? The other one is solving the world's energy crisis.

In general, I don't try to go too deeply down the rabbit hole, because then it makes me start thinking that many of the Superman stories out there are focusing on the wrong issues.

As a total aside, I like to do the "thought exercise" of asking a Superman-hater what he'd do with Superman's powers if he had to fight against Batman, and all of the sudden the list of abilities seems like more than enough to win a fight against a lot of heroes, including Batman...

[stargazer01]

this is one of those times when I realize Superman's main goal is to inspire and give us a hand, but he can't save us from ourselves, unfortunately. Only we can conquer our demons.


Also, another very important thing I would do is to fly around the world a lot. I always wanted to know how it feels. Must be an amazing feeling.